Cultivation: Fortune by Lots-Chapter 543 - 263. I’m genuinely happy for my senior fellow disciple (Chapter Two in One)

Chapter 543: 263. I’m genuinely happy for my senior fellow disciple (Chapter Two in One)

Taoist Wang Guiyuan had, by now, made quite a name for himself.

If earlier there were just some rumors about him being involved with the rebellious Prince Wu, now it was due to his surroundings and the people around him.

Being merely Yuan Mobai’s eldest direct disciple was, in truth, no big deal.

It’s true that famous teachers can have brilliant students, but it doesn’t mean every disciple under a famous teacher will turn out brilliant. There were ancient precedents for this, so it wasn’t surprising.

But Elder Yuan had only taken three disciples, two of whom were renowned worldwide, and Lei Jun, in particular, had attracted significant attention from various quarters.

In this situation, the sole exception naturally became all the more conspicuous.

Thus, although Wang Guiyuan didn’t particularly stand out among the disciples participating in this Talisman-bestowed ceremony, he still became the most eye-catching figure in the crowd.

After scanning the Celestial Master Mansion disciples lined up for the ceremony, the observing guests mostly fixed their gazes on Wang Guiyuan.

Of course, the specific thoughts and speculations in everyone’s minds varied greatly.

However, their gazes would occasionally shift back and forth between Wang Guiyuan, Yuan Mobai, Lei Jun, and Chu Kun.

Wang Guiyuan, however, kept his eyes forward, his expression calm, wearing a modest and detached smile as he meticulously participated in the grand ceremony with his fellow disciples.

He seemed completely oblivious to the outsiders’ scrutiny.

Only when his gaze met that of his junior brother Lei Jun, who was serving as the Talisman Protector Master for this ceremony, did Wang Guiyuan grow a little tense...

"Senior Brother, what’s wrong?" Lei Jun asked.

Wang Guiyuan replied, "Nothing... No, actually, there is something. It’s not a big deal, but Junior Brother, your smile is a bit strange."

It somewhat resembles that simple drawing you made for our Eldest Senior Sister, the one you named "Comical," with the slanted eyes and smile...

Lei Jun asked, "Is that so? My smile comes genuinely from the heart; I’m happy for you, Senior Brother."

Wang Guiyuan said, "...Thank you."

He completed the ceremonial rituals, received the talisman and the Dharma position, obtained the third volume of the True Formula of the Great Way Scripture and the Superior Talisman Scripture, and changed into a deep red Taoist Robe.

With this, all three of Yuan Mobai’s disciples had passed the Talisman-bestowed ceremony.

After the grand ceremony, Wang Guiyuan’s most urgent priority was to meditate and cultivate.

According to his own account, he was already over fifty years old.

By the standards for Lower Three Heavens cultivators, he had passed the Golden Opportunity Period most conducive for cultivation and had entered what could be called a ’prime plateau period.’

At this stage, while one couldn’t say all hope of advancement was lost, the pace of cultivation improvement would begin to slow, irrespective of the cultivator’s own diligence.

Lower Three Heavens cultivators over fifty and under one hundred years old found themselves in this most awkward yet crucial situation.

If they could ascend to the Middle Three Heavens before turning one hundred and prolong their lives, there was still a chance—and the sooner, the better.

Wang Guiyuan had, by now, indeed achieved Perfection with his Three-tiered Dharma Altar.

Now, it all depended on whether the Heavenly Moat Tribulation, the chasm between the Third Heavenly Layer and the Fourth Layer of Heaven, would stall him.

It feels... somewhat strange, he mused.

「On the other side」

After the grand ceremony ended, Tang Xiaotang, who had served as the Talisman-bestowed Supervising Master this time, muttered to herself.

Lei Jun asked, "Sister Xiaotang, who do you find strange?"

Tang Xiaotang shook her head. "I’m not quite sure, but something feels off."

Lei Jun inquired, "Was there someone with ill intent during the ceremony?"

Tang Xiaotang replied, "Not that. Nor does it seem like anyone with ulterior motives slipped in. It just... feels somewhat unnatural."

Lei Jun said, "Since Senior Sister senses this, I will conduct another round of inspections both inside and outside the Celestial Master Mansion."

Tang Xiaotang responded, "Alright, I’ll leave it to you then."

She waved goodbye to Lei Jun, her back already turned. "This year’s Talisman-bestowed ceremony is over. I’ll be going into seclusion next."

「In the days that followed」

Lei Jun also focused primarily on his own cultivation and teaching his disciples.

The North and South Lin Clans had suffered heavy losses, and the Jinzhou Ye Clan also had its ancestral land destroyed, dealing a severe blow to the prestige of the Confucian families of the Great Tang.

Xu Yuanzhen and Tang Xiaotang were both renowned far and wide, inevitably becoming the focus of worldly attention, which also elevated the reputation of the Celestial Master Mansion.

The fact that the Pure Yang Palace, previously the foremost Sacred Land of the Taoist Sect, had suffered a great calamity further highlighted the Celestial Master Mansion.

After two hundred years, the title of the foremost Sacred Land of the Taoist Sect seemed poised to return to the Celestial Master Mansion.

However, from a certain perspective, while the prominent figures of the Celestial Master Mansion were outstanding, its overall foundation was still thin. Especially the newly inducted disciples, who still needed time to grow. This resulted in an overall impression of being top-heavy and unbalanced.

Of course, given a period of rest and consolidation, this situation could improve.

The aftermath of the battle in Jinzhou provided just such an environment.

It was just that Xu Yuanzhen and Tang Xiaotang were so brilliant that they somewhat overshadowed others, like tall trees standing out prominently in a forest.

Fortunately, the Vajra Temple in the west had stirred up a massive event, drawing the attention of the entire mortal world.

This was precisely why the Nanzong Lin Clan’s move to seek allegiance with the Imperial Court didn’t immediately trigger a north-south pincer attack from Qingzhou and Suzhou.

The dramatic changes in the Western Regions had taken many by surprise, so for the time being, everyone adopted a wait-and-see approach.

As for the Celestial Master Mansion, this provided an opportunity to quietly and carefully accumulate strength.

The only apparent exception was Eldest Senior Sister Xu Yuanzhen.

After leaving Dragon Tiger Mountain, she first made a trip to Wushan.

Following a lead she had previously obtained from the Thousand Leaves Butterfly King, she succeeded in making a discovery in Wushan as well.

"This person once stayed here. Besides purifying the Demonic Qi Evil Miasma from the Thousand Leaves Butterfly King’s remains, they were also refining something else," Xu Yuanzhen stated simply when Lei Jun inquired. "However, this place has long been abandoned, and no more traces can currently be found. What is certain is that more than one person frequented this place before."

Lei Jun asked, "So, it’s a group?"

Xu Yuanzhen replied, "Not impossible. I’ll continue the investigation later. For now, I’m heading to the Western Regions."